"Lake Mead National Recreation Area" Top 5 Page for this destination Lake Mead National Recreation Area by Yaqui

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Travel Guide: 33 reviews and 92 photos

Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Lake Mead National Recreation Area

The lake was named after Elwood Mead, who was the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936 during the planning and construction of the Boulder Canyon Project that created the dam and lake. Lake Mead was established as the Boulder Dam Recreation Area in 1936, administrated by the National Park Service. It was then changed to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 1964, this time including Lake Mohave and the Shivwits Plateau under its jurisdiction. Both lakes and the surrounding area offer year-round recreation options. The accumulated water from Hoover Dam forced the evacuation of several communities, most notably St. Thomas, Nevada, whose last resident left the town in 1938. The ruins of St. Thomas are sometimes visible when the water level in Lake Mead drops below normal.

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In a nutshell:Beautiful~

Intro Updated Dec 30, 2010
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Reviews (3)

Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail - Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail Things to Do (3)

In 1931 as railroad spur was built to bring in supplies of the building of the dam. After the completion of the Dam in... more travel advice

Lake Mead Overlook - Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead Overlook Things to Do (3)

Located along the route towards the dam is a road that takes you to a beautiful overlook of Lake Mead. A great place to... more travel advice

Marina - Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Marina Things to Do (3)

Lake Mead has plenty of wonderful boat ramps, but it is always a good idea to know which ones are open or closed. All of... more travel advice

Map of Lake Mead National Recreation Area

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Mikebb Jan 2, 2011 at 8:05 PM

Would love to walk the old rail track, however the tunnel would be another thing, anything nasty could live there.